Convertible printing-press.



@594 I I, ATTORNEY L. MIDDLEDITCH.

CONVERTIBLE PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. I916.

1,289,860, Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

LY. MIDDLEDITCH.

CONVERTIBLE PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE (2. 1915.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WIN/E8858:

A TTOR/VEV L. MIDDLEDITCH.

CONVERTIBLE PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2. 1916.

1,289,860, Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES: l/V I/E IV TOR v Y I m ATTOH/VEV LYHAN MIDDLEDITCH, OF SCARSDALE, NEW YORK.

CONVERTIBLE PRINTING-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed June 12, 1916. Serial No. 103,126.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN MIDDLEDITOH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scarsdale, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for its object the provision in one and the same press of constructional features adapting the same foruse interchangeably as a single color, a multicolor, and a perfector press, and also as a combined multi-color-perfector press, providing also for plating and making ready on one cylinder while doing single color printing upon another; whereby the one press is adapted for economical use in both small and large establishments by reason of the elasticity of the machine in performing a large variety of work and time in preparing for successive ]ObS.

Sheet fed rotaries now used have not been commercially successful except on certain classes of work where there are exceptionally long runs. While they are rapid in operation after being started, they take longer than a flat bed to start. With a flat bed, the forms are all prepared for the press, except the make-ready, while the press is running. With a rotary, the forms must either be plated directly on the cylinder or on jackets which are afterward clamped on the cylinder. These jackets are expensive and heavy and are not used to any great extent. The forms must be made ready on present rotaries while the press is standing idle.

With a rotary press, constructed according to the present invention, it is possible'to plate one cylinder while the press is running on the other cylinder, and also to make the new form ready with only a small portion of lost time compared with other rotaries or flat beds. The cylinders, as will hereinafter appear, are in an ideal position for plating, and it is a very easy matter to throw them individually into and out of printing position, disengaging the gears and rendering them stationary. If it is desiredv to use the press on two-color work, both plate cylinders are thrown in at once, in which case, of course, the press cannot be plated or made ready while running. It is also possible,

the saving of with the press of the present invention, to do perfector work, printing both sides at one passage of the sheet, without interfering with any of the above described advantages.

Many establishments have not sufficient two-color work to install a two-color press. Comparatively few printers have work for a perfector. A press capable of running one-color work very economically besides handling two-color work and also perfecting will therefore prove very advantageous for both large and small establishments.

In order that the invention and the manner of its employment may be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art, a preferred embodiment of the same is set forth in the accompanying drawings and in the following detailed description predicated thereon. Obviously the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other and varied constructional forms, Wherefore the drawing and description are to be taken in an illustrative and not in an unnecessarily limiting sense. In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the essential features of a press embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing the arrangement for two-color work;

Fig color work with one of the cylinders out of printing position for re-plating;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the arrangement of the parts for use as a perfector press; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an arrangement of parts for printing in multi-colors and perfecting.

Having reference to the drawings in detail, the feed board is indicated at 11, the delivery at 12, the impression cylinder at 13, the plate cylinders at 14 and 15, and the transfer cylinder at 16.

The plate cylinders 14 and 15 are journaled in boxes 17 horizontally slidable in guides 18 of the frames 18 for the purpose of bringing them into and out of printing relation by means of toggles 19 adapted to be broken and straightened by means of hand levers. 20 and link connections. The position of the cylinders and frames are also adjusta le with re eren e to the impression 4 shows the arrangement for single "cylinder by means of the screws 21 and hand lever 22. Obviously other means for positioning and adjusting the plate cylinders with reference to the impression cylinder may be employed, these details of construction forming no part of the present invention.

The journal boxes of the transfer cylinder 16 are mounted for movement within arcuate guides 23 concentric to the impression cylinder 13 by means of any suitable mechanism such as a screw, bevel gears 24 and a hand crank 25 in order to posltion the transfer cylinder intermediate the two plate cylinders as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, or in contact with one of the plate cylinders, while maintaining the proper operative position relative to the impression cylinder 13.

lt will be observed that the impression cylinder 13 has two impression surfaces 26 and 27 and is likewise provided with two sets of grippers 28 and 29 arranged to take the sheet from the feed board 11, or from the transfer cylinder 16, as will hereafter appear. The plate cylinder 14 has a plate surface 30, and the plate cylinder 15 has a plate surface '31 arranged to cooperate with the impression surfaces of the cylinder 13. The transfer cylinder 16 is provided with gripper 32 and with a surface 33, arranged to carry the sheet in transferring the same or, optionally, to act as an impression surface. The delivery is, as is usual, provided with grippers arranged to take the sheet from the impression cylinder and transfer the same to a pile, such details not being here shown.

Two color.

. 0nd color from the plate surface 31. of the plate cylinder 15,after which the grippers 29 deliver the sheet, printed in two colors, to the grippers of the delivery 12.

Single color. As shown in Fig. 4, the sheet is taken from i the feed board 11 by the grip ers 28 as before, and while resting on t e impression surface 26 receives its first imprint from the plate surface 30 of the plate cylinder 14. As previously described, the sheet is taken by means of the grippers 32 of the transfer cylinder 16 and carried through one revolureeeseo tion of the aid transfer cylinder and then delivered to the grippers 29 by which, resting upon the impression surface-27, it is delivered to the delivery 12. It will be observed that in the present arrangement, the plate cylinder 15 has been moved horizontally so that it is no longer. in contact with the impression cylinder 13 and consequently does not act upon the sheet. Moreover, in this position It stands idle, and may be plated in preparationfor a new job, while the plate cylinder 14 is working on the current job in single color.

It will be readily understood that either the plate cylinder 14 or the plate cylinder 15 may be thrown out of operation for replating, while the other is in action. If the plate cylinder 14 is to be plated while the plate cylinder 15 is printing, the cylinder 14 will be moved out of engagement with the impression cylinder and the cylinder 15 allowed to remain in contact therewith. In

this case, the sheet, handled as before described, will receive no imprint until after Perfecting.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will be observed that the two plate cylinders are in the same position relative to the impression cylinder as that shown in Fig. 4, but the transfer cylinder 16 is moved to the left into contact with the plate cylinder 15. With this arrangeinent, the sheet, while resting on the impression surface 26, receives itsfirst imprint from the plate surface 30 and is then taken by the grlppers 32 and carried by the transfer cylinder 16 upon the impression surface 33 of said cylinder in contact with the printing surface 31 of the plate cylinder 15 whereby an imprint is made upon the reverse side of the sheet, and the latter is then delivered to the grippers 29 and, resting upon the Impression surface 27, is delivered to 12.

Oombz'ncd multicolor perfecting.

In Fig. 6 is shown in a diagrammatic manner, the arrangement in combination of two printing units, such as that previously described, whereby in one passage through the machine the sheet is printed in multicolor on one ide and perfected with a single color on the other, although, by readjustment of the parts in the manner previously indicated the sheet may be printed in two colors on each side, or in four colors on one side. Various combinations are possible with a readjustment of the parts. 7

With the arrangement of cylinders as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6, the sheet is fed to the impression cylinder 13 and Fig. 5, is perfected in a single color and then delivered from the impression cylinder 13 to the delivery 12. The result is a sheet printed in three colors upon one side and in one color upon the opposite side in one passage through the press.

In order that the true invention may not be confused with or buried in a mass of unimportant details of construction, well known as to mechanical arrangement and operation to those skilled in the art, I have not herein shown such collateral details as, for instance, tripping mechanism, gripper-timing mechanism for use when shifting from two color to perfector work, or vice versa, and other usual and well known features of press construction.

While the terms 5 plating, make ready, under lay, over lay and others are often used with a technical limited significance in the art of printing, I have, in

the following claims used the term make ready to designate any or all steps necessary to prepare a new form for printing, and thetermis to be understood in this sense.

I claim:

1. In a rotary printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, two plate cylinders, and a transfer cylinder, the two plate cylinders movable independently into and out of printing relation with the impression cylinder,

and the transfer cylinder having an impression surface and shiftable into and out of printing relation to one of the plate cylinders, whereby to effect single color, multi-color and perfector printing at will.

2. In a rotary printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, two! plate cylinders, and a transfer cylinder, the impression cylinders having two impression surfaces, each plate cylinder having a plate surface, and the transfer cylinder having an impression surface, the two plate cylinders shiftable collectively and independently into and out of printing relation to the impression cylinder, and the transfer cylinder shiftable into and out of printing relation to one of the plate cylinders, whereby to effect single color, multi-color and perfector printing at will. 1

3. A rotary printing machine comprising an impression cylinder-having two surfaces therewith respectively,

each provided with sheet taking devices, a printing cylinder for coacting with one of said surfaces only, an auxiliary cylinder for taking a sheet from one surface after it is printed by theprinting cylinder and delivering it to the other surface of the impression cylinder, and a second printing cylinder coacting with the auxiliary cylinder to perfect the sheet before itis transferred to the second surface of the impression cylinder.

4. A rotary printing machine comprising an impression cylinder having two imression surfaces, two printing cylinders, the impression surfaces and printing cylinders so constructed and arranged that one printing cylinder coacts with only one impression surface and the other printing cylinder with only the other impression surface, means for driving said printing cylinders from said impression cylinder, a cylinder intermediate the two printing cylinders and driven from the impression cylinder for transferring a sheet fromone impression surface to the other, means for moving one of said printing cylinders out of printing relation with the impression cylinder, and means for bringing the auxiliary cylinder into printing contact with said printing cylinder while remaining in engagement with the im pression cylinder, the said cylinder being rotated in a reverse direction from the impression cylinder through the means of the auxiliary cylinder.

5. In a rotary printing press, the combination with two impression surfaces, and two plate surfaces arranged for cooperation and means for adjusting either of the plate surfaces out of and into operative relation to its impression surface to make ready a new job thereon during production of one job from the other plate surface.

6. In a rotary printing press, an impression cylinder provided with impression surfaces, two plate cylinders contacting each with an impression surface, and a transfer cylinder to shift the sheet from the first impression surface to the second impression surface for effecting multi-color printing, in combination with means for adjusting either of the plate cylinders out of and into operative relation to its impression surface to make ready a new single color job while one single color job is being run.

7. In a rotary printing press, the combination with two impression surfaces, of two plate cylinders, and a transfer cylinder, the plate cylinders arranged to be interchangeably brought, one into printing relation to its impression surface and the other out of and into operative relation to its impression surface for making ready.

8. In a rotary printing press, the combination with an impression cylinder, two plate cylinders, and a transfer cylinder, the

impression cylinder having two impression surfaces, the transfer cylinder arranged to transfer the sheet after printing by one plate cylinder from one impression surface to the other for printing by the second plate cylinder, and means for adjusting either one of the plate cylinders out of and into operative relation to its impression surface for making ready.

9. In a rotary printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder having tWo impression surfaces, tWo plate cylinders, and atransfer cylinder, the plate cylinders arranged to be brought singly or collectively into printing relation to the impression cylinder to effect single or multi-color printing, and each plate cylinder independently adjustable out of and into operative relation to its impression surface for making ready.

10. In a rotary printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder having two impression surfaces, tWo plate cylinders, and a transfer cylinder, the cylinders arranged to be brought into cooperative operation to elfect single color, multi-color or perfector printing at Will, and means for adjusting either of the plate cylinders out of and into operative relation to its impression surface to make ready for asecond job thereon while producing the first job from the other plate cylinder.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

LYM A W MIDDLED ITCH. 

